Stars Take Offensive With Belfour Off Game

Joe Nieuwendyk had two goals, including the go-ahead score, and the Dallas Stars twice had short-handed scores to regain their playoff momentum by beating the San Jose Sharks, 5-4, Friday night.

The defending Stanley Cup champions took a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals. The Stars can clinch the series Sunday with a victory against San Jose in Game 5 at Dallas.

Both San Jose goalie Steve Shields and Dallas goalie Ed Belfour, who had kept a lid on scoring in their previous games, struggled in this one.

There were three short-handed goals--two by Dallas--and San Jose converted twice on the power play. A frustrated Belfour drew successive roughing penalties around a goaltender interference call on Dave Lowry in the final period, but withstood the resulting San Jose power play.

San Jose pulled Shields in the final minute for an extra skater, but Belfour stopped Patrick Marleau’s shot from up close with 40 seconds remaining. Dallas prevented the Sharks from getting another shot.

Belfour had allowed only two goals in the first three games, shutting out the Sharks twice. Shields, who stopped 28 of 33 shots, had given up only two goals in the previous two games since a 4-0 loss in the series opener.

Nieuwendyk’s first goal, off a rebound that Shields just missed covering up, gave the Stars a 4-3 lead before the game was tied for a fourth time on Todd Harvey’s power-play goal from the slot after a centering pass by Marleau at 14:07 of the second.

Nieuwendyk then scored again, putting the Stars up by a goal heading into the final period.

Jamie Langenbrunner, who missed Game 3 with a bruised shoulder, got a pass from Scott Thornton and rushed down the ice. He drew Shields to cover one side of the net before passing to the wide-open Nieuwendyk on the other side for the go-ahead score, his third of the playoffs.

Owen Nolan forged a 3-3 tie when he answered Dallas’ second short-handed score with one for the Sharks. He took the puck away from Derian Hatcher at the blue line and broke for the Dallas net, where he flipped the puck over Belfour’s shoulder for his eighth goal of the playoffs.